Cold As You
by ems2091
Summary: NH Season 3 Oneshot. Now Extended!
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody! I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for awhile. This is what you need to know:

-Late Season 3  
- Nathan and Haley are NOT back together  
- Haley left and came back  
- Nathan did NOT go visit her while on tour  
-Haley called and wrote everyday when gone, but Nathan didn't do anything about it.

I think that's it. If you have questions let me know. Also, if there are enough replies I might extend this into a two or three parter. There are a couple of scenes that I have going around. 3

Song Credit: Taylor Swift - Cold as You

------------------------------------------

The lights went illuminated the middle of the stage and Peyton walked to the middle and smiled.

"Hey everybody! How are y'all doin' tonight?"

The crowd cheered and she laughed

"Well then, without further adieu, I am very honored and excited to present to Tric, once again, Ms. Haley James!"

It was like a punch in the gut to Nathan. _**Ms. Haley James.**_ It should be _**Mrs. Haley James-Scott**_, but Nathan just had to be the biggest jackass in the world now didn't he?

Haley stepped out on the stage, guitar strapped onto her body.

"Thanks, Peyt. Okay before I start I just want to say a quick thing. Um, I wrote this song because there were certain...events going on and although I was the one who caused them initially, it still hurt just the same. Anyway, because of these events, this will be my last performance at Tric, and probably ever. So, if anyone would like to buy this lovely, in mint condition, might I add, guitar, let me know..."

The music began but Nathan blocked it out. _"Anyway, because of these events, this will be my last performance at Tric, and probably ever."_ No, it couldn't be. She wouldn't give up music, she loved it more than anything, it was her world.

'_No, you are idiot. Well, at least you were until you broke her heart,' A voice in his head shot back at him_

'_Whatever,' he said back to himself_

Haley began to sing and Nathan couldn't help but be entranced by her voice.

**You have a way of coming easily to me **

**And when you take, you take the very best of me **

**So I start a fight cause I need to feel something **

**And you do what you want cause I'm not what you wanted **

Nathan listened intently to her words and couldn't help but think of all the nasty things he had done to her since she came back. Mess with her head. Parade Rachel around. Blatantly ignore her. Let other people knock her down and make fun of her. Damn pride.

**Oh what a shame, what a rainy ending **

**given to a perfect day **

**Just walk away, **

**ain't no use defending words that you will never say **

**And now that I'm sitting here thinking it thinking it through **

**I've never been anywhere cold as you **

Nathan couldn't imagine Haley taking him back after all he did. He was such a jackass. He only wanted to hurt her like she hurt him.

'_She was only doing what you wanted her to,' said the voice in his head_

'_But she left me. We said Always and Forever and she left,' Nathan shot back _

'_You never went after her though, did you? Never answered her calls or letters, did you?,' _

'_Shut up, I'm trying to listen to Haley,' _

**You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray **

**And I stood there loving you and wished them all away **

**And you come away with a great little story **

**Of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you **

Nathan did put up walls, the biggest he could muster. So big in fact, Haley had to suffer while trying to break them down. Unfortunately for Nathan, Haley had finally reached the point when she couldn't take it anymore that afternoon.

_Flashback_

_There was a soft knock the frame of his door and Nathan looked up to see his wife standing there with a sad look on her beautiful face._

"_Would it be alright if I came in for a second?" She asked hesitantly_

"_I'm kind of busy," He replied coldly_

_Haley took in the game of NBA Live and half empty bag of chips, "I can see that, but I swear this will only take a second."_

_Nathan sighed heavily, "Fine."_

"_I just wanted to give you these," Haley said handing him the annulment papers. " I just realized that with graduation coming up, you should finally be free like you want,"_

_Nathan's heart sank as he saw her signature underneath his. he then looked up at her to see her walking out the door._

"_Haley! Wait!" He called after her_

"_What?" She asked, not bothering to hide the tear tracks on her face_

"_I-I don't know if this is what I want," Nathan said_

_Haley stared at him for a moment before exploding._

"_Are you kidding me Nathan? I tried for months and months to get you to see how sorry I was, how much I loved you, and you treated me like I didn't exist! I made a mistake going on tour, I know that. I regret it everyday when I wake up. Do you know what else I feel when I wake up Nathan? I feel sick. I feel an ache, because you've made it so clear that I'll never have you again. The ache has gotten so bad that it's to the point where I don't want to wake up anymore. I have never felt that way before in my life, Nathan. I can't keep doing this to myself if all you're going to do is shoot me down! So I'm done, you can be with Rachel or Peyton or whoever the hell you want now. I won't be standing in your way."_

_Haley turned and ran out the door, away from the hurt, away from Nathan._

_Flashback End_

**Oh what a shame, what a rainy ending **

**given to a perfect day **

**Just walk away, **

**ain't no use defending words that you will never say **

**And now that I'm sitting here thinking it thinking it through **

**I've never been anywhere cold as you **

After she left, Nathan had cried. He sat down and bawled his eyes out. All he wanted in this life was to have Haley, love her, and make her happy. Instead, he made her feel like she couldn't live anymore and made her think that he wanted Rachel more than her.

**You never did give a damn thing honey **

**but I cried, cried for you **

**And I know you wouldn't have told nobody **

**if I died, died for you **

Nathan would never want Rachel. He would always want Haley. Always and Forever. If it was the last thing he did, he was going to get her back.

**Oh what a shame, what a rainy ending **

**given to a perfect day **

**Every smile you fake is so condescending **

**Counting all the scars you made **

**And now that I'm sitting here thinking it through**

**I've never been anywhere cold as you **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone! I was really surprised, and very grateful for all the replies I got for this story. I have decided to extend this into more chapters based on your responses. However, right now I am in the middle of midterm week and it is killing me. I will be done by Friday and plan on having an update up by next weekend. Thank you so much!!!!

3 Emily


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all your replies!!! Also, thank you to Angie for the great idea about the guitar!**

Chapter 2

Later that weekend, Nathan was still dealing with the repercussions of his actions. He had pushed Haley away and now it was biting him in the ass. He knew that he had a lot of time to make up for, and he was going to try his hardest to win Haley back. Nathan was going to start with buying Haley's guitar back from whomever bought it. Peyton had handled the exchange, so all he had to do was ask, Right?

Wrong. Nathan sighed as he heard the door slam behind him. His visit with Peyton had gone a lot worse than he ever expected. Apparently, Peyton had joined **'Team Haley'** When Nathan had "started being an ass, even after Haley had more than made up for it". She was right, of course, but she didn't have to be so _snippy_ about it.

On to plan B: Talk to Brooke.

"May I help you?" Brooke asked, fixing Nathan with a steely gaze

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me with something," Nathan said unsurely

Brooke let out a bitter chuckle, "And I would want to help you because..."

"You would help me because you're Haley's friend, and I'm trying to fix things between us," Nathan filled in

"Why now, Nathan?" Brooke asked, skeptical, "Why after all this time did you finally get your head out of your ass long enough to see that you needed her?"

"I always knew that I needed her," Nathan replied quietly

"Well you sure didn't act like it!" Brooke said, raising her voice

"I know!" Nathan cried, matching her tone, "I know that," He said softer.

"Then, why, Nathan? If I'm going to help you get Haley back I at least need a good reason why," Brooke said exasperated

Nathan sighed "Because I love her so much that it hurts, Brooke. I can't even imagine my life without her. I know that I pushed her away when she came back, but it's only because I was scared. You saw how messed up I was when she left, and I have _**never **_been like that about **anyone** in my entire life. I should have responded to her when she tried to call or when she wrote, but I just couldn't get past the fact that she was with Keller,"

"She was** never **with Chris, Nathan. She wouldn't dream of doing that to you," Brooke interrupted

"I know. I know that now. All I could picture was the two of them together though, it consumed me. It pulled me down until I couldn't see or think about anything else. It broke my heart. I know she was following her dreams, just like I want her to, but I couldn't help but wonder if she loves it more than she loves me. But now I know that we're meant to be together and I know I hurt her just as much as she hurt me, but I need her back Brooke."

Brooke sighed, "Alright, what do you want to do? I'll help in any way I can,"

Nathan's face broke out into a huge smile, "Thank you, Brooke, I promise you won't regret it. I was thinking maybe I could buy her guitar back from whomever bought it and then give it to her and then make the biggest damn apology speech of my entire life."

Brooke thought for a moment, "It's good, not great. I think with a few tweaks, you might just have a shot, Nathan."

"What do I need to do?" Nathan asked eagerly

"Here's where we start..."

Later on that evening, Brooke was nervously awaiting the arrival of Haley back at the apartment. She and Nathan had gone over the plan time and time again, making sure that there were no flaws, it was going to be perfect. Just as Brooke finished running over her "lines" in her head, Haley walked through the door.

"Hey Brookie," Haley said cheerfully

"Hey Hales. Luke called he wants you to meet him at the Rivercourt," Brooke said nonchalantly

"Why?" Haley asked confused, "I just saw him this morning,"

Brooke waved her hand passively, "Something about Steinbock...or maybe it was Spock. Wait, doesn't Dr. Spock write baby books? Oh my god Haley! Are you pregnant?"

"What! No!" Haley yelled immediately, "Lucas was probably talking about _Steinbeck_...he's a famous author,"

Brooke shrugged, "Potato, Patato. It's all the same to me,"

Haley laughed, "You are one of a kind Brooke Davis,"

Brooke sent her a dimpled smile, "I know,"

Haley sighed, "Before I go, I have something to share with you,"

'I know what it is!' Brooke thought, "What?"

"Nathan stopped by the café today and you'll never believe what he said to me..."

_Flashback_

_Haley was working at the café, talking jovially to all the customers. One cute young guy in particular. Sure she wasn't ready for a relationship, but it didn't hurt to look, she wasn't dead. Just when she felt the day was getting a little brighter, Nathan walked in. Haley braced herself for whatever snarky comment was coming her way. She was truly surprised at what he said._

"_**He's not good enough for you," **__He said softly, so only she could hear and then turned on his heel and walked out._

_Haley felt the rage and anger build up to the surface. He had no right whatsoever to say that to her anymore. She slid her tray on the counter behind her and rushed after Nathan._

"_**Hey!"**__ she yelled harshly, __**"Don't do that to me!"**_

"_**What?" **__He asked flabbergasted_

" '_**He's not good enough for you'! You don't get to do that anymore Nathan!" **__she yelled, __**"You said you were done, now start acting like it!"**_

_Flashback End_

"Wow," Brooke breathed dramatically, "I can't believe he said something like that,"

Haley shook her head sadly, "I know. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. I'll let you know when I do. I better go meet Luke,"

"Alright, have fun with Steinberger!" Brooke yelled after her

Haley walked lazily to the Rivercourt. Lately, she'd been walking aimlessly around Tree Hill, letting it all seep into her and remain there forever. Haley always received a calm when she was in Tree Hill. On tour, her nerves had been run ragged with performing, fending off Chris' advances, and trying to talk to Nathan, but as soon as she stepped foot in Tree Hill, all was still. As she approached the Rivercourt, there was this odd light radiating from it. Haley quickened her steps with curiosity.

"Nathan?" She asked incredulously "What are you doing here? I'm supposed to be meeting Lucas,"

"That was a lie," he replied simply

"Why?" she asked, utterly confused. Haley thought she was going to be discussing books with her best friend at their favorite hangout, only to find her soon to be ex-husband there surrounded by candles.

"Because I needed to talk to you and I knew that you wouldn't do it willingly," Nathan said matter-of-factly

"What do you want from me Nathan?" Haley asked tiredly

"I want you and I want us to be together," Nathan said

Haley's head snapped up at his words, "Seriously Nathan, what are you trying to do?"

"I am serious Haley. I know that I haven't acting like it for the past few months, but I was just scared. I love you, Haley and I want us to be us again," Nathan said sincerely

"You love me? Did you love me when you were with Rachel? Did you love me when you used to make me hate myself? Did you love me when I used to cry myself to sleep at night because of the things you said to me? Did you love me when you..." Haley paused choking back tears, "you just stood by and watched while people tore our marriage down into nothing?"

Nathan hung his head as his thoughts went back to that day.

_Flashback_

_Haley and Nathan stood by their lockers, which happened to be uncomfortably close, packing up from the long day at school. Just as Haley opened her mouth to try and make another attempt to talk to Nathan, she was interrupted._

"_**You know he just married her to sleep with her," **__the girl said loudly enough for both Nathan and Haley to hear, __**"It's blatantly obvious. He wanted to get into her pants and then he shipped her off so he'd have an excuse to divorce her. That's gotta be the reason, I mean, c'mon, Nathan Scott would never go for **__**her**__**,"**_

_Haley whirled her head around looking at Nathan, silently begging for him to say something, anything, to prove those girls wrong. Nathan, however, just shut his locker and began to walk away._

_He bent down to Haley's ear and whispered, __**"It's a shame she's right,"**_

_Flashback End _

Nathan was searching desperately for words that would make everything okay.

"I love you," He finally said

"I wish I still believed that," Haley said bitterly before walking away


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Everyone! I am so, so sorry that it has taken me a month to update this story. I knew exactly what I wanted to write and how I wanted the end of this story to be, I just go so caught up in work and school, I've hardly had time to breath! I am so grateful for all your comments, they mean the world! Here is the end of the story, and thank you again for your support!**

**Song Credit: Won't Go Home Without You - Maroon 5**

Chapter 3

Nathan had slipped into a depressed state after his encounter with Haley at the Rivercourt. He thought about all of the horrible things that he had done to her and how their forever would never be again. He thought back to the day that probably was the straw that broke the camel's back for Haley.

_Flashback_

_Haley and Nathan stood by their lockers, which happened to be uncomfortably close, packing up from the long day at school. Just as Haley opened her mouth to try and make another attempt to talk to Nathan, she was interrupted._

"_**You know he just married her to sleep with her," **__the girl said loudly enough for both Nathan and Haley to hear, __**"It's blatantly obvious. He wanted to get into her pants and then he shipped her off so he'd have an excuse to divorce her. That's gotta be the reason, I mean, c'mon, Nathan Scott would never go for **__**her**__**,"**_

_Haley whirled her head around looking at Nathan, silently begging for him to say something, anything, to prove those girls wrong. Nathan, however, just shut his locker and began to walk away._

_He bent down to Haley's ear and whispered, __**"It's a shame she's right,"**_

_Nathan walked away with a slight feeling of satisfaction. He finally hurt her as much as she hurt him. As quickly as the feeling came, it was gone. Hurting her wouldn't fill the void in his heart. All these comments weren't going to bring her back to him._

_**God**__, he was a prick. He just told his __**wife**__, the __**one**__ person in the world that he loved most in the world that he married her just to have sex with her. He needed to find her and explain that he didn't mean it. It was the furthest thing from the truth. Nathan married Haley because he knew that they would be together forever, no matter what, he would always love her._

_**23232323232323**_

_He stood outside her door for what seemed like hours. He just couldn't bring himself to knock. He could hear her heartbreaking sobs through the wood and wanted nothing more than to comfort her and shield her from the pain. On the other hand, he didn't know if he should. He was the one that caused this pain, he was the one that made her leave, he was the one constantly hurting her. Maybe she was better off without him._

_Flashback End _

_**No.**_ Nathan thought immediately. No, she wouldn't be better off. They were meant to be together until the end of time. Nothing was supposed to come between them ever. She had said it herself a few weeks before she left on tour.

"_I don't want anything to come between us."_

And Nathan wasn't going to let anything else come between them. They had been apart for far too long and they needed to be together. Nathan knew there was only one other thing to do to get Haley back. Nathan stood up, and with an apprehensive sigh, walked over to his closet and took out a large cardboard box. This time he was going to do it on his own.

**232323232323232323**

Haley had been in the same state as Nathan. As much as she tried to convince herself that she was moving on, she knew Nathan would always have her heart.

'_Always and Forever_'

Those words mocked her now, always and forever didn't exist. At least not for her and Nathan. He said himself that their marriage wasn't based on love or trust, but on the need for sex. She was just another conquest on his list. More tears spilled down her cheeks, and Haley vowed in that moment that she would move on. If Nathan could treat their marriage like nothing, so could she. Well, at least she could try. Just then there was a knock on her front door. Haley stood up and wiped the tear tracks from her face, she didn't need the world knowing that she was still heartbroken over her marriage. When she opened the door, there was only a cardboard box with a note attached.

_**You may not believe it, but it's true. Always and Forever.**_ _**If you believe it after this, meet me at Tric tonight.**_

Obviously the package was from Nathan, but what was in it? Haley brought the box over to her couch and ripped it open. She gasped in shock after seeing its contents. it was full of pictures and mementos from her and Nathan's relationship. Sand from their wedding day, the Cracker Jack bracelet, Champagne flutes from their wedding reception, rose petals from their wedding night, and most importantly all of Haley's letters from the tour. Haley was even more shocked to find letters from Nathan. They were all in response to hers, and even more from when she came back. They all said how much he missed her and how much he loved her. He apologized for all of his actions, saying that it was almost as if he had an out of body experience when he was doing all of these things. All he wanted was to be with her, but he was afraid. He was afraid to be that vulnerable with her again. He was afraid that he had been the one to push her away, and that's why she left.

Haley read through everything twice. She flipped through pictures, and reminisced about her life with Nathan. Was she really ready to let him go? It was obvious there were still feelings on both ends of the relationship, but could Haley go through that again?

**2323232323232323**

Later that night at Tric, Nathan was nervous. This was a foreign emotion for him. But Haley was anything but ordinary to him. She was the love of his life. Since he was sixteen years old, he new that Haley was going to be it for him. No other woman could ever compare to her. Nathan checked his watch for the fifteenth time that night.

'_Showtime,' _He thought. Just as he raised his head, the DJ came over the microphone.

"Alright now, this song goes out to Haley from Nathan,"

_**I asked her to stay but she wouldn't listen  
She left before I had the chance to say  
Oh  
The words that would mend the things that were broken  
But now it's far too late, she's gone away**_

Haley's head snapped up as she heard her name over the speakers. Nathan dedicated a song to her? As she listened to the words, her heart melted. She knew exactly what song this was.

_**Every night you cry yourself to sleep  
Thinking: "Why does this happen to me?  
Why does every moment have to be so hard?"  
Hard to believe that**_

Nathan's eyes scanned the club from his perch at the bar. He was hoping, praying, that she came. That she was hear, listening to this song.

_**It's not over tonight  
Just give me one more chance to make it right  
I may not make it through the night  
I won't go home without you**_

Haley was shoving her way through the crowd, frantically searching for Nathan. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed she couldn't find him.

_**The taste of your breath, I'll never get over  
The noises that you made kept me awakeOh  
The weight of things that remained unspoken  
Built up so much it crushed us everyday**_

Nathan's heart was sinking with every passing word. The song was nearing the middle, which means it was nearing its end. She still wasn't there.

'_Please let her be here,'_ He prayed

_**Every night you cry yourself to sleep  
Thinking: "Why does this happen to me?  
Why does every moment have to be so hard?"  
Hard to believe that**_

The club was too packed. Haley was a small girl and was getting lost in the shuffle. There was no way she was going to even come close to finding Nathan by the time the song ended.

_**It's not over tonight  
Just give me one more chance to make it right  
I may not make it through the night  
I won't go home without you**_

It's not over tonight  
Just give me one more chance to make it right  
I may not make it through the night  
I won't go home without you

Nathan decided that the this torture had gone on long enough. It's obvious Haley wasn't going to come. He was doomed to spend eternity alone because of one stupid mistake.

Then, he looked across the bar.

_**Of all the things I felt but never really shown  
Perhaps the worst is that I ever let you go  
I should not ever let you go, oh oh oh**_

It's not over tonight  
Just give me one more chance to make it right  
I may not make it through the night  
I won't go home without you

Haley finally pushed her way through the throngs of people to the bar. She knew that this was the best place to be when in search of someone. She spent several minutes scanning the crowd when she looked across the bar.

_**It's not over tonight  
Just give me one more chance to make it right  
I may not make it through the night  
I won't go home without you  
And I won't go home without you  
And I won't go home without you  
And I won't go home without you**_

Nathan hopped out of his car so fast he knocked it down, but he didn't care. He forced his way through the people in search of drinks trying to get to his wife. Finally, he was able to get within a foot of her. He placed his arms on either side of her, pinning Haley against the bar.

"I'm sorry," they said simultaneously

"I missed you," Haley said

"You have no idea," Nathan said

He leaned forward, and finally, finally, their lips met again, after months apart. Their lips moved against each other frantically, trying to make up for lost time. After breaking apart for air, Nathan rested his forehead against Haley's, looking into her eyes.

"I love you," He whispered

"I love you, too," She responded

Marriage was tough. It would take hard work, communication, and commitment. However, the most important component in marriage is love. Both Nathan and Haley knew that no matter what, their love would overcome anything.


End file.
